Beta
by LuckyDuck29
Summary: Spinelli’s latest project is more successful than even he hopes, but someone he trusts tries to use it for their own personal gain. Thanks to my beta reader, Sue Rum.
1. Chapter 1

Spinelli smiled proudly as he looked at the finished product of over a year's worth of labor. It was January 1, 2010, and he was about to test the object he'd been working on for several months. Even Stone Cold had no idea he'd been working on it; he wanted it to be a surprise.

The idea had come to him when he'd been committed, the day he and Maxie had planned to break Lulu out of Shadybrook. He had had plenty of time to think before they had rescued him and his panic had caused his brain to run away with him. But once he was out, this particular idea refused to go away, so he knew he had to act on it.

He entered a few more programming codes into the computer, saved his work and then activated the program.

"Remote activated," the screen read.

Spinelli grinned and pointed the remote control at the human-shaped, life-sized figure on the bed, then pressed the power button and entered his security code.

"Jackal 2.0 awaits The Master's instructions," the robot said in a voice similar, but not identical, to his own.

The voice was vaguely flat, with little inflection or tone, but that could be fixed shortly. There were more pressing tasks to attend to first.

Spinelli smiled. Now it was time for the first minor test. What should his first instruction be? He scratched his head. He was beta testing this robot; the alpha testing had already been done.

"From now on, Jackal 2.0 will answer to the name Beta. Protocol 3."

This meant the robot would store the instruction in its permanent memory, execute it and forget that it had ever been called Jackal 2.0. It was a short form of the instructions, store, execute and purge.

"Program executed, Master. Beta ready."

Spinelli beamed at the robot. He would test the voice commands and work out those bugs before trying out anything more physical. He didn't want to destroy anything and it was possible that Beta could accidentally do that if his physical attributes were tested too early while the robot didn't know its own strength. Besides, it didn't know how to defend itself or anyone else yet.

"What is your name?" he asked, wanting to test the robot's grammar and sentence structure, as well as its ability to respond to simple questions.

"My name is Beta."

"What is my name?"

"You are The Master, Damien Spinelli."

He suddenly understood why Jason didn't like Spinelli calling him Master; it felt uncomfortable in a way that Spinelli couldn't quite explain.

"Yes, but you may call me Spinelli; everyone does."

"Yes, Spinelli Everyone Does."

Spinelli laughed, reminded of a similar scene in Star Wars between Luke Skywalker and See-Threepio. This was a minor bug and he could fix it with one verbal explanation and a line of programming code.

"No, just call me Spinelli."

He entered the appropriate code into the computer as he spoke and sent it to the remote.

"Yes, Spinelli."

The robot's computer brain was still relatively new and empty. Spinelli hadn't wanted to overload it, so he'd only entered the appropriate information he would need for the first few tests. It had a huge brain, but because it was so new, Spinelli didn't want to take any unnecessary risks.

"Beta, what does it mean that I am your master?"

"Only you may command me."

"And if I give someone else limited power to command you, what are they?"

"They are apprentices."

"Excellent! And what about people you should respond to, but who have no power over you?"

"They are friends."

"Very good!"

Beta had passed the initial tests. He would not respond if Spinelli didn't give him permission, he would not take certain commands from anyone but Spinelli, and the commands he could take from apprentices would be limited. Any command that an apprentice could not give would be refused with an explanation that only Spinelli could give it.

Spinelli had considered this carefully during the initial construction of the robot, his protector. Protection would be its primary function, but its objective was to disable, never harm or kill. Stone Cold had told Maxie once that he wasn't going to teach Spinelli how to defend himself. Spinelli wasn't sure of his reasons, but he did know that he never again wanted to feel as helpless as he had the day they had put him in a straight jacket and locked him in a padded cell. This was the thought that had inspired the idea for Beta.

He had begun the blueprints for the robot the minute he'd arrived home after leaving Shadybrook. A week later, he began collecting the knowledge and materials to build it. He had had to do some serious Jackaling to get some of the materials and information he'd needed, but he'd gotten everything in a surprisingly short amount of time. He worked secretly, when stone Cold wasn't home, and kept it hidden in his closet when he wasn't working on it. To his surprise, no one suspected that he even had a secret.

Beta's computer brain was literally a network of computers; Spinelli had bought several hard drives and each one was a data bank. Most were empty and Beta would fill them as its knowledge and experiences grew. Its actual body was made of titanium and every inch of it was covered with Kevlar. Spinelli wanted his protector to be bullet and fire proof.

Unfortunately, its eyes were the weak spot; they were made from camera lenses with the inner workings of the camera connected to its brain to serve as what would be a human's optic nerves. There were also retinal scanners in its eyes so it would be able to identify people with certainty. But its eyes could not be covered with Kevlar because then Beta would be blind. Spinelli was still trying to figure out how to get around that limitation.

Beta's ears were human-shaped, as were the eyes, but inside the ears were microphones hooked up to the inside of the head, connected to the brain. Its vocal cords were actually small speakers. These were also connected to the brain. The robot appeared human in most respects. But anyone who mistook Beta for human would think he was sick or that he had a skin condition.

There were also recording devices and video receptors inside Beta's brain; everything was connected with cables. The data banks would exchange information when needed and the video and recording equipment would be useful when Beta needed to access the information, if it was not from data bank 2, but from Beta's own experiences.

Data bank one contained all the instructions Spinelli had given, and would give. Data bank two was for information Beta got from other sources; dictionaries, encyclopedia, etc. All the others were for its own experiences and memories. There were a total of eleven, one being for temporary storage.

Some temporary storage items would be committed to permanent memory; others would be purged. Spinelli didn't think he would have to expand Beta's brain for a long time because there were things Beta would learn to purge automatically, or that would be purged on command. For example, Spinelli did not want Beta retaining business secrets in this early stage of testing. In fact, he didn't know if Beta would ever learn the secrets of the Stone Cold way. He had taken every precaution he could think of, but was not fooling himself that Beta could not be used against him or Stone Cold if he fell into the wrong hands.

The first thing he had to do was teach Beta to read. He would do this as he would with a child, using flash cards and showing the robot letter by letter. He remembered being taught to read and would use his own experiences to teach Beta, at least to start with. Then Beta would use that information to teach itself the rest; Spinelli would only supply the materials it would need, such as the dictionaries, encyclopedia and other books and media.

Spinelli taught the robot the sounds of letters and how to put them together to form words, then how to count After Beta learned the alphabet and numbers, which had only taken a few minutes because it had stored it in permanent memory. Then he decided to give him the dictionary so he could expand his limited vocabulary.

"Beta, sit up."

"Yes, Spinelli," the robot said obediently as it complied.

He was testing his physical abilities now. They were limited, like a baby's, but he needed to make sure they worked before he gave him any more complicated physical instructions.

"Take the dictionary."

Beta was unresponsive for a second before saying, "unknown."

Spinelli frowned. What was unknown?

Beta clicked for a minute. Its brain was trying to come up with an appropriate response.

"What is a dictionary?"

Spinelli pointed to the dictionary he was holding.

"This is a dictionary, a book of words and their meanings. I want you to take it and read it and commit it to memory. You will store the information permanently in data bank 2."

"Yes, Spinelli."

He reached over and took the dictionary from Spinelli's hands.

The robot read the dictionary within seconds and beeped when it was committed to memory.

"Objective completed."

Spinelli smiled.

"Very good. Now, take that encyclopedia. Then read it and store it permanently in data bank 2."

He pointed to it, sitting on top of the desk. Beta would have to stand up and walk over to the desk to get it. This was a test of his legs, and also to see if he could follow instructions in chronological order.

"Yes, Spinelli."

Spinelli decided that having Beta say "yes" every time he was given a command could get annoying.

"Beta, don't respond verbally every time you're given a command. Just carry it out; that's proof enough that you understand."

Beta said nothing as he stood up and walked over to the desk.

"Um, did you understand when I told you not to respond verbally every time?"

"Yes, Spinelli."

The robot picked up the encyclopedia and began to read as he spoke.

"You could also just answer yes or no without naming the person you're talking to. Understood?"

"Yes."

"Excellent! Your initial tests are going very well!"

Beta looked at him for a second, his eyes flashing and his brain clicking.

"Was I supposed to respond to that observation?"

"No, not unless you had a response."

"I did not."

Spinelli grinned. Beta was catching on to human interaction quickly. Very soon, he would be able to introduce Stone Cold and Fair Samantha to his newest friend.


	2. Chapter 2

Beta beeped.

"Objective completed."

"Very good."

He knew it wasn't necessary to compliment a machine, but he wanted Beta to interact with humans, which meant that he wanted to treat him like a human so he would know how to treat others. Everyone needed to know they were appreciated.

"Thank you," Beta responded in his still flat, uncaring tone, making Spinelli feel a bit silly for complimenting him regardless of his reasons.

"Spinelli?" Stone Cold called from the hall.

He peaked through the open door.

"Who are you talking to?"

He stared, speechless, at the robot, standing beside the desk with the encyclopedia still in its hands. Spinelli began to feel anxious. He suddenly feared that Jason would object to having a robot in his house and force his Grasshopper to abandon the project.

"What is that?"

Jason's tone was more surprised than angry, but Spinelli could hear the angry undertone. Maybe he was imagining it, or maybe Stone Cold's surprise and trepidation were manifesting themselves as unintentional anger. Either way, he was quick to answer, not wanting to hesitate and cause his mentor to become impatient.

"Um, I had not planned to show you at this time, but since you're here, come in and The Jackal will introduce you to his latest project."

"Latest project?"

Jason walked in and continued to stare at the robot.

"Beta, this is Jason Morgan. Introduce yourself."

"Hello, Jason Morgan. My name is Beta."

Jason continued to stare. Beta's eyes flashed and his brain clicked.

"Did I do it wrong, Spinelli? Was that not the proper way to introduce myself?"

"Yes, it was; you did well."

He turned to Jason.

"He's confused because you didn't respond.

"Hi, Beta," Jason stammered, not sure how he felt about having a robot living in his house. "Spinelli, where did you get it?"

"I built him."

Spinelli blinked. Exactly when had he started to think of Beta as he instead of it? Jason ran his fingers through his hair as he stammered out his response.

"You built- you built- How did you do this without me knowing?"

"When you weren't here."

"But why?"

"Why did I keep him a secret, or why did I build him?"

"Both, I guess."

"I don't really know why I kept him a secret, but I built him for several reasons. His primary function is to insure The Jackal's protection. As Stone Cold knows all too well, The Jackal is not well endowed with physical strength and prowess. Being locked up in a padded cell made him feel completely helpless and he does not wish to ever again find himself in a similar situation. You can't be there all the time and trying to change myself only causes trouble for all involved, so this seemed the best solution."

Jason didn't know what to say to that, so he asked another question.

"Why do you call him Beta?"

"Because he's in the beta testing stage; he'll pick a name for himself when he's further along."

Jason had his doubts about this project, but couldn't think of plausible rejections. But Spinelli seemed to sense his doubts.

"I'm being very careful, Stone Cold; no one can give him commands except me, and when and if you wish to command him you'll only have limited ability. I have the only remote control for him and I have no intention of taking him out in public until the bugs are ironed out. You will not even be able to command him until you're more familiar with him; you'll only be a friend until then, not an apprentice or a master. I'm taking every precaution to make sure no one can misuse him."

Jason decided to let him continue. Maybe his reservations were groundless. But Spinelli's good intentions tended to get him, and sometimes Jason, into trouble. Jason thought that for everyone's own good, he should monitor his friend's project. Maybe he could help Spinelli prevent future unforeseen disasters.

"Can I help?"

Spinelli nodded thoughtfully. He was surprised but grateful that Stone Cold approved and wished to assist his Grasshopper.

"Beta, Jason is now in friend mode."

"Friend Jason Morgan acknowledged."

"Why didn't you make a weapon for him?" Jason asked.

Spinelli shrugged and looked at Beta. He'd thought the answer would be obvious.

"He is the weapon."

"OK, but how is he supposed to protect you? How will you teach him what he needs to know to defend you?"

"I planned to have him watch and learn from old movies; you know, Karate Kid, or-"

Jason rolled his eyes.

"You have him do that right off and he really will hurt someone."

Spinelli's face fell. Jason suppressed a sigh, feeling a mixture of affection and mild exasperation. There were times when the kid was still incredibly naïve.

Through an intense question and answer period, Jason learned Beta's current limitations and decided that he would train the robot in self-defense and weapons. He had refused to teach Spinelli the same things because Spinelli was far too prone to hurt himself or someone else. The reason for this was because he was both over eager and nervous. He wanted to please, but was afraid of hurting someone or being hurt himself. He was also impatient and wished to apply his skills, real and imagined, immediately.

"May we begin his self-defense training now?" Spinelli asked with a child's eagerness that was characteristic of him and that Jason found simultaneously refreshing and frustrating.

Jason hesitated.

"Does Stone Cold have another engagement?"

Hearing the poorly concealed disappointment in Spinelli's tone, Jason decided to put aside his reservations and attempt a training session. He hoped he wasn't making a dangerous mistake.

"All right, but let's go down to the basement."

He paused and looked at the robot. Beta was still standing beside the desk with the encyclopedia in his hands.

"Why is he just standing there like a statue?"

"He has not received a command."

"Beta, put that down and come downstairs with us," Jason ordered.

"I'm sorry, Jason Morgan, but you are not an apprentice or a master. Therefore, you may not command me."

"Tell him just to call me Jason."

Spinelli decided to perform a slight cleanup in Beta's sub routines having to do with interaction. He programmed him to refer to people by title and surname unless given permission by a specific person to use first names or nicknames. Then he instructed Beta to follow him and Jason.

"I think I should warn you that he's never navigated stairs before," Spinelli told Jason as Beta exited the regrettably pink room.

"OK, then he should go ahead of us. Can he break if he falls?"

"Possibly, but I can fix him."

Once they were all in the hallway, Spinelli instructed Beta to go ahead of him and walk down the stairs.

"Grab the railing if you lose your balance," he instructed as Beta moved his foot toward the first step.

Beta lost his balance almost immediately and grabbed for the railing. Unfortunately, he grabbed and pulled forcefully toward him, causing the railing to break.

Beta turned his head and looked back at Spinelli, his eyes flashing rapidly.

"I do not believe this method of balancing is effective, Spinelli. The railing has been incorrectly disassembled."

He let go of the railing and it clattered over the side of the staircase and down to the first level of the Penthouse. Spinelli would have laughed if not for Jason's look of annoyance.

"Humble apologies. The Jackal will replace-"

"No," Jason said, resigned. "I'll have it replaced."

Jason had agreed to help with Beta's testing. He supposed it wouldn't be fair to get upset every time it didn't go as planned.

He stepped in front of Spinelli and held on to Beta's shoulders as the robot walked slowly down the rest of the stairs. When they came to the basement stairs, Spinelli went down first to demonstrate for Beta the proper way to use a railing. He still wobbled a bit this time, but nothing was broken.

After confirming with Spinelli that he couldn't hurt Beta, Jason put on protective gear and a pair of boxing gloves. He would show Beta how to defend Spinelli with his body first. Jason would perform the movements, fully dressed in protective clothing.

"Beta, Jason is going to teach you how to defend me. You will follow his instructions. But when you do what he tells you, do not hurt him!"

"Does he know his own strength?" Jason asked with a note of anxiety in his tone.

"I know how to calculate mass, force and velocity," Beta said, but Jason was not reassured by the robot's flat tone, which Spinelli had not yet had the opportunity to modify. "I will not harm you."

Spinelli sat on a nearby chair with his laptop, the one he used exclusively for Beta, open and ready if needed. As Jason trained the robot, Spinelli entered appropriate programming codes where needed, and also added some additional codes, such as the modifications to his voice sub routines that would make him sound more human.

As he worked, he realized that Beta had answered a question about himself that was not directed at him. He smiled. Beta was becoming more confident and interacting more efficiently with humans. Spinelli felt like a proud parent observing a child. For the first time, he wondered if Beta would exceed his expectations rather than merely fulfilling them.

Spinelli had just made the mental observation that this training session was an excellent test of Beta's hand eye coordination when one of Beta's punches sent Jason sprawling to the floor.

"Stone Cold?" Spinelli asked with concern as he jumped to his feet and ran over to his prostrate mentor.

Jason stared up at him, looking as if he didn't know why he was suddenly lying on the floor.

"Humble apologies," Beta said, his new human tone making him sound a bit like Spinelli, particularly since Spinelli himself had used the same words after the destruction of the railing. Perhaps I should adjust my calculations."

"I take full responsibility," Spinelli said quickly.

"No," Jason said, getting to his feet, "that was good. If you can knock your opponent down it can slow him down; he'll have to take the time to get up and Spinelli will have the time to get away."

"But I am not permitted to harm," Beta said, his eyes flashing.

Was Spinelli imagining it, or did the rapidity of Beta's flashing eyes indicate different levels of anxiety?

"That's why I'm dressed like this. If someone is attacking Spinelli, you won't always have time to think about not harming. Sometimes you'll have to cause harm."

"Conflict, Spinelli."

Beta sounded mildly anxious and his eyes were still flashing.

"You have commanded me to follow Jason's training instructions, but in this instance, said instructions go against my programming."

"He's right," Spinelli said, "and I will adjust your programming accordingly."

He turned to Jason.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. Do you need me to wait until his programming is adjusted?"

"No, the task will be completed in a matter of seconds."

When the session was over, they went back upstairs and Spinelli gave Beta a tour of the house. When Beta saw the mirror that Maxie had installed without Jason's permission, he misunderstood its purpose.

"Intruders!" he said in a tone of alarm, and smashed the mirror, employing a move that Jason had taught him on his own reflection.

Jason stared, trying to decide whether to be amused or annoyed.

"Glass intruders?" Beta asked, puzzled as he stared at the sharp fragments on the floor as if trying to figure out why the intruders he had just vanquished had suddenly become more numerous and much smaller.

Spinelli couldn't help it this time. He burst out laughing. Deciding not to get angry over the destruction of a mirror that he hadn't wanted in the first place, Jason joined him. It really was funny, Jason thought. Beta, although only a construct of metal and computer components, really was like a child seeing the world for the first time.

"Beta," Spinelli said, the laughter still in his voice, "search the information you assimilated earlier today. Look up mirrors and reflections."

Beta's brain clicked, his eyes flashed and a few seconds later he beeped.

"That was a mirror. Those men were not imposters dressed to look like you and Jason and they did not have another robot with them."

Beta's tone was decidedly sheepish. Spinelli felt a pang of empathy. He knew what it was like to make a well-intentioned mistake and then feel profoundly embarrassed once the error was realized.

"Spinelli's girlfriend put it up," Jason said. "Spinelli, I think Beta should learn to clean up after himself."

"Most definitely. Beta, follow me. I intended to show you the kitchen, anyway."

He showed Beta where the broom and dust pan were and how to use them, then ordered him to go into the living room and clean up the broken glass. He was suddenly very glad he had not taken his fledgling protector out in public yet. Beta still had a lot to learn.

Jason smiled slightly as he watched the robots cleanup effort, thinking that life with Spinelli was never dull.


End file.
